HRCP denounces brutal police action against protesters in Abbottabad

Lahore, April 13, 2010: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is grieved at the loss of life and denounces the brutal suppression of public protests in the Hazara region by the police on April 12. HRCP demands an immediate judicial inquiry into the killings of protesters as well as the circumstances in which people’s passions were aroused, apparently for political manipulation. While any excess or disproportionate use of force cannot be condoned, it is also necessary to expose and punish all those elements that have chosen the path of violence in order to subvert any movement towards building of a national consensus. HRCP urges the provincial government to bring to accountability those members of the law-enforcement who resorted to violence. It must also use all peaceful and political means to assuage the hurt caused to the people of the region. HRCP believes that the issue of renaming NWFP has been deliberately used to polarise society, at a time when the nation is confronted with extremely grave issues of humanitarian crisis, unemployment, violence and power and gas shortages. This controversy has been escalated on the eve of constitutional amendments, which are likely to make important structural changes in the polity. Asma Jahangir (Chairperson)